A Joplin dentist enters a plea deal to charges stemming from a fatal 2023 hit-and-run accident.
55-year-old John Joseph II entered a plea of No Contest for attempting to interfere with law enforcement during the investigation of the August 2023 accident that killed a Galena man. Joseph's then 19-year-old son Rocco was the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle that struck 60-year-old Gary LaTurner as he walked along KS-66 west of Galena. Police say the younger Joseph fled the scene following the accident and then returned with his father. The two then left again and failed to report the crash.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped a charge of contributing to child misconduct. Joseph is set to be sentenced in the case on November 19.
